


Gales of Change, Winds at Sea

by annaloverofarendale



Category: Frozen (2013)
Genre: Adventure, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-12
Updated: 2014-05-02
Packaged: 2018-01-15 11:21:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1303009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/annaloverofarendale/pseuds/annaloverofarendale
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Anna, Kristoff, and Elsa explore their new roles in the kingdom. With Anna and Kristoff traveling together, they both realize their potential (as well as deepen their relationship). Kristoff/Elsa friendship, Anna/Kristoff fluff and adventure. Anna and Elsa sort out how to manage Arendelle as the amazing duo that they are.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Trouble With Charming Princesses

**Author's Note:**

> Frozen is amazing, sadly I do not own it.

Anna impatiently hoped from foot to foot, a heart wrenchingly familiar dance for Elsa. As a child, Anna was always dancing, ready to move, ready to go. It was comforting for Elsa to realize how similar the current version of Anna was to the version Elsa remembered, before the forced isolation. 

Well. Comforting in most aspects.

Having a childlike sister had some definite downsides. 

“But WHY do we need to BOTH be in the ambassador’s meeting? It’s about economics, and trade deals. I was going to go on a picnic with Kristoff and Olaf and Sven and we were going to have chocolate and sandwiches and it’s warm out and-“

Elsa calmly tugged Anna back into her vanity chair. “Sit still.” With graceful fingers, she interwove green ribbons into Anna’s double braids, straightening loose strands as she went. Anna had a tendency to mess up her hair, which, endearing as it was to those who knew the energetic younger princess, did not make a good first impression.

“You’re coming because Arendelle needs a princess who is familiar with the law.” Elsa swallowed. “I’ve been isolated most of my life. Even before that, I was never that gifted with people. You are. We will work better as a team, and Arendelle needs all the favorable odds we can get.”

Anna nodded. She didn’t really mind taking up more responsibilities as princess. The ambassadors often came from distant shores, bringing stories and treasures and ideas that were foreign and exciting. She had yet to mention it to Elsa, but she hoped to someday be Arendelle’s ambassador. It had taken Anna a while to get over her fear of sailing after her parents’ deaths, and there were a great many more lessons in etiquette she wanted to master before traveling to see other lands, but a life of adventure, surrounded by people, seemed like her true calling.

It had taken some teary nights with Elsa to make Anna feel more equal to her older sister. For the longest time, Anna had been so certain that her loneliness was a punishment, and that Elsa’s abandonment was the result of something she had done. Discovering that her already formidable sister had magical powers didn’t do much to help her growing inferiority fears. But Elsa pointed out, repeatedly, that Anna’s love was a form of power. The people of Arendelle loved both of their princesses, but for different reasons. Elsa was the ruler they revered, but Anna was the princess they were inspired by. 

Anna’s braids complete, Elsa gently shook her sister out of her reverie. Anna was so prone to daydreaming, it was easy to wind up being late to her own meetings. 

“Shall we?” Elsa outstretched a hand, and Anna took it with a wild grin. It hadn’t been long ago that the two sisters had been afraid to touch, one out of fear of offending, and the other out of fear of harming. They were still growing accustomed to the new contact, but both delighted in expressing their strengthened friendship whenever they could.

Arms linked, the two princesses (one now queen) of Arendelle walked down the hall, laughing as they went.

~

“Stop laughing, Sven, it isn’t funny.”

Sven rolled his eyes, letting out another snort. 

“It’s been two weeks since I kissed Anna- well, she kissed me, then I kissed her, but I asked her first, and-“

“Don’t worry Sven! I know Anna loves you. She’s your true love.” Olaf, innocent as ever in the ways of wooing human women, kept turning up in the middle of Sven and Kristoff’s brainstorming sessions. 

Kristoff ignored Olaf, focusing again on Sven. “I tried to ask the trolls, but they have a completely different idea of romance! I don’t know who to turn to.”

“You could ask Elsa for help”

“Sven, that’s ridiculous. I’d be frozen solid before I got the name ‘Anna’ out of my mouth.”

“No, you wouldn’t.” Elsa’s voice sounded in Kristoff’s ear, causing the mountain man to startle into the air.

“Where- where are you, your majesty?” Kristoff nervously looked around. Hopefully Elsa hadn’t heard the previous conversation…

“This is just a gale, carrying my voice from my room to where you are. There is another wind bringing your response back to me.” 

Kristoff shook his head in wonder. “Your powers are incredible, your highness.”

Her melodious laugh sounded through the meadow. “Thank you, Kristoff. Sadly, I bring sad news, negotiations are going longer than anticipated, and I need to borrow Anna. She won’t make it back in time for your picnic.”

Kristoff slumped. 

“Kristoff?”

Oh, right, the queen could only listen. “Alright, your majesty.”

“Please, Kristoff, call me Elsa. And- if you don’t mind- I would like to speak with you tonight about Anna. Nothing bad, of course, I just-“

She hesitated.

“I know what it’s like to feel like you’re starting from scratch. I hope that we can be friends. I imagine that we’ll be seeing a great deal of each other; Anna is rather fond of you.”

Olaf nudged Kristoff, as if to say I told you so. 

“Thank you, your- Elsa. I will meet with you tonight. Thank you.”

The gale dissipated, leaving Kristoff to his thoughts. Olaf and Sven ran off, the snowman gleeful evading the hungry reindeer’s attempts to render his nose a snack. He smiled, reclining in the sunshine of the beautiful day. Kristoff usually preferred winter to summer, but the heat was growing on him. Anna reminded him of warm weather, period. Her smile could (and did) cause even the coldest heart to melt. No wonder Elsa wanted Anna in the meetings, having such a charming negotiator must come in handy.

Anna’s charm was a part of Kristoff’s problem though. Everyone fell in love with Anna. Townspeople, Olaf, fancy princes with formal titles, even Sven seemed to favor her at times. 

How can you convince someone like that to love you back?


	2. Unexpected Offers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be updating every evening for about three more days. Please comment if you have any input! Thanks for reading!

Upon arriving at the royal palace, Kristoff was surprised to be ushered into the art gallery, not the royal suite where he knew the queen resided. Didn't queens, particularly queens as regal as Elsa, like to use the formal rooms for official business? Well, at least he thought this was business. Maybe it was something else? Elsa was gazing up at Joan of Arc, lost in thought. Kristoff hadn’t spent much time in school, but the trolls had used their magic to reenact historical stories, although they often had a somewhat unconventional take on events. For example, Grandpappie swore on his moss that Joan of Arc had been pricked by a cursed thorn in her youth. That power was what gave Joan her immense skill with blades and swords. Her courage though, was all her own.

Kristoff sighed, looking around the massive and highly decorative room. Both the princess he loved and the queen he respected were undeniably royal in both their literal titles and the manner with which they interacted in the world. They demanded, with subtle mannerisms, respect and, to a lesser extent, adoration. Kristoff felt coarse by comparison. A cool hand touched his own, surprisingly calming despite the chill.

Elsa smiled graciously. “Hello Kristoff. Joan certainly has an aura of strength about her, doesn’t she?” Elsa looked wistful for a moment. “Like she could tackle any challenge.”

Kristoff hesitated. He knew Anna trusted Elsa with her life (and had trusted her, but that didn’t turn out as well as planned) yet he was still afraid of offending the sorceress. But her sad eyes didn’t look nearly as wild and unhinged as the woman in the ice palace. Elsa just looked like she needed a friend. Kristoff didn’t have much experience with those either, but the trolls had always promised that the best way to make friends was to listen. Kind of ironic, given their own listening abilities, but it was worth a shot.

“Erm- Queen Elsa? Is everything okay?” 

The queen brightened a little. “Oh no, things are wonderful now. With the gates open, Anna is happier than ever before. The trade negotiations are a bit intimidating, but the fall out from the - the coronation disaster was… less severe than anticipated.” 

Kristoff hoped that Elsa wasn’t beating herself up over the events that transpired a few weeks prior. Everyone knew that it wasn’t her fault… right?

Kristoff coughed, feeling a little warm. “Um, not to pressume, your majesty-“

“Elsa, please.”

“Right, right. Erm. You do know that no one - no one sane, that is - blames you for what happened during the coronation?”

Elsa turned from Kristoff. “Thank you, you’re very kind. I appreciate it, I really do. I hope that others see it that way.” She straightened, brushing off the ice crystals that had formed on her gown. “Actually, that’s a good segue into what I called you here to discuss.”

Kristoff nodded, trying to look as capable as possible. He still wasn’t quite sure what the Official Ice Deliverer of Arendelle was supposed to do, but he definitely wasn’t about to let Elsa rethink her decision. Although it likely was Anna’s doing-

“Anna is nineteen, and incredibly naive in the ways of the world.” Kristoff blinked at Elsa’s statement. He wasn’t expecting that. “Now, I don’t mean to say that she is helpless, or vulnerable. My sister can hold her own, and she is quite well read and well learned. She is incredibly social, despite few opportunities to practice having been available to her. Anna is happier now than I’ve ever seen her, and I have not forgotten that you play a significant role in that happiness.”   
Kristoff’s cheeks colored, causing Elsa to let out a soft laugh. She sounded like tiny bells, where Anna sounded like a parade.

“Everyone in the palace knows the way she looks at you, and most of the town besides. What was I saying- oh yes. Anna has always wanted to travel though, as Arendelle’s ambassador. Not forever. But for a while.”

His heart sank. Of course the princess was going to visit places and dance with princes and probably live a much more exciting life than a simple-

“And I hate to admit it, Kristoff, but Official Arendelle Ice Deliverer isn’t a real title.”

This was it then.

“But Ambassador is.”

Wait- what?

“I thought you just said Anna wanted to be the ambassador? And you were going on about how qualified she is and-“

“Anna doesn’t need you. I mean, she could handle the job and journeys on her own. However, she wants you, and I want her to be happy. I can’t force you to accept the offer. But, as Ambassador Kristoff, you will have more status than Ice Deliverer Kristoff. I don’t assume to know your plans for the future-“ and here she blushed, “but I know what it’s like to have snooty nobles turn their noses at you for something you were born as. Most kingdoms have multiple ambassadors, Arendelle won’t be viewed as an anomaly.”

Kristoff finally found the voice to speak. “Does Anna know you’re planning this?”

“No. I wanted to speak with you first. If Anna objects, well, we can always send you two on separate assignments. But she won’t object. I suspect that she hasn’t asked me for the job out of fear of losing you.”

Kristoff doubted that, but kept it to himself.

Elsa looked into his troubled eyes. She softly finished, “The choice is truly yours. Your freedom belongs to you, and neither Anna nor I would ever take that away.”  
 “Thank you.” Kristoff whispered, swallowing the lump in his throat.

Elsa smiled as she spun her hands around a flurry of ice, shaping something. A bow appeared, then a sail. Within seconds, a beautiful ice boat was created. It sailed through the air, bumping against Kristoff’s chest. Carved on its side, its name.

Kristoff smiled back, the lump gone.

“Thank you, Elsa. With your blessing, I would happily accept the position. Um, if I did that right?”

“You did perfectly. Thank you, Kristoff. Oh, and Kristoff?”

“Yes?”   
“Please keep the boat. It won’t melt.”

“Thank you.”

Elsa felt at peace as she watched The S.S. Anna trail after Kristoff. That went well, better than expected.


	3. What Has Been Gained

Anna gazed at the shining fjord from her perch atop the sun garden roof. She used to spend so many long hours up here, daydreaming the day away. After her parents died, she thought for a while that if she just kept guard long enough, she would see their ship sailing home after all. Kai and Gerda had to gently coax her down for food, water, and rest. When the northern lights shone, she would sneak out of bed to watch them from her special place. She had often contemplated asking Elsa if she would join in, but, well…

Letting out a happy sigh, Anna remembered that she and Elsa were close again. It came back to her at the oddest moments, the realization that her isolated days were at an end. It was strange, and hard to get used to. She had to remember to invite people to play with her now, Elsa and Olaf and Sven and Kristoff-

Anna let out a shriek, piercing the air with her high tones.

“Woah! Sorry. Sorry. Whoa there. Sorry, I was just- you were- don’t mean to disturb you, Anna. Do you want me to leave?”

Anna nervously laughed and smoothed her hair. “Ha, no. Nooo. Nope.” She clasped her hands behind her back, trying to slow her racing heart beat. She was certainly covered with a thin layer of dirt, and did she wreck her tights climbing up the garden ladder? Anna desperately wished she had Elsa’s gracefulness, she never seemed out of place. If only it hadn’t been Kristoff who found her! But she didn’t really mean that. Just seeing him was enough to brighten her day, even if it meant she felt woefully inadequate. When he smiled at her like that though… It was totally worth it. “I was actually just deciding to go look for you. Sit, stay. Please?”

Kristoff grinned, gesturing to the spot beside her. “Mind if I join you?”

“Not at all.”

The two sat in silence for a minute, looking out at the fjord. Anna scrunched her nose, considering something. Kristoff was about to ask what she was thinking about, when she grabbed his hand and held it.

Oh.

Anna’s hand was soft, and so tiny compared to his own. Kristoff felt self conscious for a moment about his own callused hands. Princesses didn’t swing axes into blocks of ice, her hands revealed her lack of manual labor and reminded him of his lower status. It was almost enough to make him want to pull away. Almost. Well, not even almost. He felt like his whole world was pooling into the hand connected to Anna’s. All sensation and all feeling was linked to the girl beside him, and it was enough to make him forget to view her as princess. This was Anna, his Anna. 

Whoops. His Anna had just finished saying something and was looking at him expectantly.

Kristoff coughed, “Sorry, could you please repeat that?”

“I said, it’s hard to believe that it was once frozen over.”

That was definitely true. It was hard to believe that Anna died on the fjord. Sure, she came back, but for a moment, she was an ice sculpture, devoid of life. It was harder still to believe that when the fjord was liquid, before the freeze in the middle of summer, Kristoff was living a life without Anna. His entire world had been different. 

“It’s hard to believe that any of the past month ever happened. I’m sitting on the rooftop of the palace with my- the princess of Arendelle.”

He squeezed Anna’s hand, working up his courage. However, Anna cut him off before he could speak-

“-what did Elsa want to talk to you about? Or, you wanted to talk to her about. Or, wait, I mean you and Elsa talked, what? I know nothing about that. Well, actual nothing, I don’t know what you talked to her about or if you even talked to her at all. Do you even know Elsa? I should introduce you two, I mean, she’s the-“

“Anna, Anna, Anna!” Kristoff smiled. “It’s okay. I know who your sister is. Our talk went well, nothing’s wrong. She just had a sort of… job offer for me.”

Anna let out a sigh of relief. “Phew. Okay, good, cause I was getting worried that I was just rambling and rambling-“

“I didn’t say you weren’t-“

“BUT anyway, I’m glad that things are good between you two. What’s that job offer?” Anna poked Kristoff’s side, smiling when he started. “Official Arendelle Ice Deliverer not enough of a title for you?”

Kristoff feigned casualness. “Oh, she just wanted to know if I would be Arendelle’s Ambassador.”

Anna blinked. “Wait, what?” Damn it! She should have told Elsa she wanted to do that, now she was never going to see Kristoff again and it would be just like the gates had never opened and she’d be alone and did Elsa think she wasn’t up for the job and oh god, did she do something wrong or… Maybe Elsa just didn’t think she was capable of it. Anna was clumsy and didn’t really know etiquette and maybe Elsa wanted to give her the job but didn’t think she could do it. She was the spare, like always. Oh no. No. Please…

Kristoff immediately felt guilty for teasing Anna. “Hey, hey. It’s okay. I was joking. Well, not about the job offer. She did ask me to be Ambassador. But…” And here he trailed off, looking sheepish. “Elsa wanted me to be the second ambassador. You’d be the first. You know, if you want to.”

Anna blinked again. She was having trouble forming her words.

“Um, Anna? It’s okay. You don’t need to take it. I don’t need to take it, even, if it would hurt your feelings or we could talk to Elsa about it if you wanted-“

Kristoff was cut off (again) by Anna. Nonverbally this time.

Anna had launched herself into his arms, kissing him fiercely. Kristoff melted into the kiss, gently supporting Anna while kissing her back, widening the kiss a little and oh god, this was amazing.

They broke apart just as suddenly as they started, both looking a little embarrassed and more than a little pleased. 

“I’ll take that as a yes then?”

Anna grinned and pulled him in for another kiss.


	4. The First Mission

As Elsa stared out the window, she couldn’t help but feel a tinge of fear. She knew that Anna and Kristoff were eager to start traveling, but she knew how dangerous the sea could be. The ocean stole her parents, and Anna was all she had left. She thought about asking Anna to stay, to wait another year before beginning her new career, but the situation in the Southern Isles needed to be addressed. She definitely wasn’t comfortable sending Anna back to the home of her former fiance, but Elsa needed an ambassador she could trust to navigate the foreign nation. 

Anna’s innocence was a liability though. Thus, Kristoff. It hadn’t been just for Anna’s benefit that Elsa nominated Kristoff as second ambassador of Arendelle. Anna could charm anyone. Kristoff could withstand the charm of others. His skepticism helped balance out Anna, kept her grounded. They made quite the pair, and this seemed like the best situation Elsa could have hoped for.

Except for the sea.

The journey to the Southern Isles would only take about a week, but her parent’s journey to Corona was supposed to last only two days. The waiting and not knowing was the worst part. She had watched out the window for days, the temperature in her room slowly dropping with every hour without news. Anna’s knocks had become more frantic, until they finally stopped. 

That was how Elsa found out. 

Kai knocked on her door a few hours later, but she slipped a piece of parchment under the door with carefully penned instructions for the burial, the announcement, and a request to be left alone. And Elsa was alone. 

But so was Anna. And Elsa couldn’t keep Anna trapped in the palace any longer. Hans had been a romantic fantasy, but also an escape. If Anna didn’t have freedom, and company, Elsa knew her younger sister would be enticed into another horrible situation. 

Elsa took a deep breath, and picked up the formal order she had finished writing out. Anna and Kristoff had a first mission to attend to, and it was going to be a complicated one. The Southern Isles had been at war with the Northern Isles for as long as the two nations had existed. The Northern Isles, after hearing about the Hans fiasco, thought it prudent to extend an offer for Arenelle’s ambassadors to visit for their upcoming ball, presumably with the goal of an alliance soon.

 

Anna and Kristoff would need to visit the Southern Isles first though, to sort out where Arendelle and the Southern Isles stood after the failed assassination attempt. So, Kristoff and Anna were set to sail in two days. They were to stay in the Southern Isles for no more than a week before making their way up the coast and into Northern Territory for the Summer Solstice ball. 

And on top of all that…

Elsa wrung her hands. Anna may have gotten engaged with too must haste, but as queen, Elsa had certain responsibilities to the kingdom. No one knew if her ice powers were genetic. Actually, she didn’t know if the thought had occurred to anyone besides her. But if Anna and Kristoff were truly serious… Elsa would have to make a strategic match to avoid backlash over the princess marrying a mountain man without a piece to his name. To be fair, Arendelle was a very accepting country. Her parents had made sure of that, cleansing the law books of archaic rules. That cleansing came in handy, as without which, Elsa wouldn’t have become queen without marrying first. 

So, Elsa and Anna both had far more freedom than most royal girls did. Well, theoretical freedom, the ice powers kind of messed that up.

She steeled herself. 

“Kai? Could you please fetch Anna and Kristoff? I- I have their first assignment.”


	5. Setting Sail

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How do you guys feel about me bumping the rating up to Teen or Mature? I'm definitely up for some more...intensive Kristanna, but only if the readers feel comfortable with it. Please leave a comment with your thoughts!

Kristoff rubbed the back of his neck as he looked around the formally furnished quarters he had just been shown. He had only just started getting used to having a consistent roof over his head, and he was being thrust into a den of plush carpets and fancy carved tables, nothing like the hay strewn floors he was used to crashing on. Although -shooting a glance toward the carved bed covered in soft blankets and pillows- he wasn’t about to complain. In fact, he really rather liked the ship. It was smaller than the palace, and everything seemed a bit sturdier and more practical, although still hopelessly expensive and beautiful. 

The steward coughed. “Lord Kristoff?”

Kristoff jumped. “Um, no, sorry, not a lord. Just Kristoff.”

“As ambassador, not to mention favored one of a princess of Arendelle, you more than qualify for the title- but I digress.” The stewart let out a smile. “Let’s not argue over semantics, you must call me Johan if you insist upon Kristoff. Deal?”

“Definitely deal.” Kristoff shook Johan’s hand, pleasantly surprised at the grip on the smaller man. Johan seemed earnest, a mix of the mountain men Kristoff grew up with and the palace visitors he had only just started to meet. It was nice to find someone in between. Like him, Kristoff reminded himself. He didn’t have to loose one world for the next.

Johan pumped his hand one last time and released. “A pleasure, then. I’ll see you soon, I need to visit the Captain. We’re about to shove off, you may want to come up to the deck in half an hour to wave to the town. Dinner is at seven, you wouldn’t want to be late, sailors can certainly eat their fill!”

With a final bow that was smooth with years of practice and confidence, Johan left Kristoff alone to his thoughts. Sven couldn’t come on the journey, and it was almost breaking Kristoff’s heart to leave him behind. He was consoled by the knowledge that Elsa would guarantee the best care for his best friend. 

He heard a crash and loud giggle from the room next to him. The muffled voice belonged to a certain exuberant redhead, who, judging from the sounds… Kristoff burst into a grin. Anna was definitely jumping on the bed in there.

Anna being aboard was a major plus as well. Having a human friend, much less a beautiful female friend (girlfriend? Romantic partner? Companion? Lover? Not lovers yet…) made leaving his reindeer less of a blow, traitorous as the thought may be. 

Kristoff stretched, fingertips nearly touching the low ceiling as he let out a groan. He had never been at sea before, but he had spent enough time in small canoes with the other ice harvesters to know that being loose was the best way to deal with the rolling and often fickle ocean. He wandered over to his animal hide bag, removing the new tunics and laying them out before the musky scent spread. He liked the tunics, all greens and blues and two formal, one red and gold and the other purple and silver. Nothing too frilly or fancy, just far better material and richer colors than he had ever had before.

There was a sudden knocking at his door. “Come in!” 

Anna leapt over the threshold, stumbling a little on the rug and taking that as an opportunity to launch herself onto his bed, strewing the pillows everywhere. 

“Hey!” Kristoff crossed his arms and tried to look stern.

“Don’t give me that face, mister grumpy. We’re about to set sail!” Anna hung upside down off the side of the bed. “Come see everyone off!” She slowly started to slide off the bed, headfirst. “Woah… a little help… please?”

Kristoff ran forward and supported her head. “Slow down! You definitely don’t deserve help, you got yourself into this… Easy…” He gently lifted Anna into a sitting position. On his bed. “Come on now, let’s go before you get yourself hurt and the voyage cancelled.”

Anna scoffed. “Ha! I would never do that.”

He rolled his eyes. “Right.”

“But we should go see Elsa.”

“Right.”

“Then what are we waiting for?” Just as suddenly as she flew in, Anna grabbed Kristoff’s hand and practically dragged him to the upper deck. 

There were hundreds of villagers milling about, small children waving wildly at the ship, older parents looking on with revere at the Princess Anna and her ship. A few of Kristoff’s harvesting friends were there too, whistling and yelling. Kristoff colored, and felt more than a little relieved that he couldn’t hear what they were saying at this distance. The fellow harvesters could be a little crude. 

Anna was definitely in her element. Kristoff stopped looking at the shore and just gazed at her, stunned. The wind was blowing her hair and skirts askew, but she was laughing and waving and making faces at the small children. She was soaking up the sunlight and the wind and the people and the sea air, and her joy radiated out, infecting everyone. Kristoff could barely believe that he was standing next to someone so much like the sun, when he was a creature of solitude and ice and, for gods sakes, his best friend was a reindeer and-

The girl made of summer sun grabbed his hand again, and squeezed it gently. 

Kristoff shook out of his minor panic and looked over at Anna.

“Don’t be nervous, we only need to wave for a few more minutes before the ship starts to move.”

Oh, right. He totally forgot that they were about to spend the next month or so aboard a ship. That was worrying for other reasons… But Anna was choosing to go with him, and she chose this. She was the one who granted permission to kiss her, she was the one running ahead and leading the way. Kristoff didn’t have to worry about being left behind when he was with her.

However, Kristoff did need to worry about paying attention. Somewhere between his panics, Elsa had appeared and formed a platform of ice, rising her up above the crowd. 

“Princess Anna, Ambassador to Arendelle, and Lord Kristoff, Ambassador to Arendelle, I thank you. As a part of the new era of Arenelle leadership, you two have become my most trusted companions. As such, it is with great excitement that I send you off on your first mission of peace.” Here, Elsa turned to address the crowd. “The Northern Isles and the Southern Isles-“ a slight boo swept through the crowd, Prince Hans not yet forgotten. A small smile played on Elsa’s lips. “Have been at war for generations. With the Southern Isles requesting Arendelle’s forgiveness for their… behavior during the Second Winter, we find this a prudent time to send a peace seeking mission. Our goal is to reconcile the two nations, placing Arendelle in a favored position in the process.” Elsa raised the platform a little higher, and her voice grew louder. “We want this to be a new era of peace and prosperity for all, Arendelle and her allies.”

Thunderous applause shook the crowd, Anna vigorously cheering as well. Kristoff looped an arm around her waist, just in case she leaned too far over the railing. Elsa turned back to face Anna and Kristoff. “I give you my blessing… as well as a form of protection.” She twisted her hands, concentrating on channeling her powers into some tiny creation. Once she was satisfied, the creature grew and grew and grew, until it stood as tall as Kristoff. Elsa let out a satisfied grin. 

“This is Faren. She has bones of solid brackish ice, which means that she can stay cold without a flurry like Olaf. She will serve you as a companion, and as a reminder to the other nations what Arendelle is capable of, should they interpret our mission for peace as a sign of weakness. Additionally, her wings allow her to cross great distances in short amounts of time. If ever you need me-“ Elsa looked at Anna carefully, “you can fetch me, and I will help.”

Faren was beautiful. Inhuman and shocking, she looked like a sea bird with human signs of softness, in her eyes and gentle curve of a mouth. 

Kristoff understood the powerful play Elsa had just made. A reminder to the other nations that Arendelle was not to be trifled with would immediately charge each negotiation with a degree of antagonism. But it couldn’t be helped.

Anna understood the giving gesture Elsa had just made. A snow creature that could fly back to Arendelle at a moment’s notice meant that Anna wasn’t being abandoned. If anything went wrong, she could tell Elsa. She felt her heart grow lighter.

Kristoff grabbed Anna’s hand as the boat started to pull away. He leaned in and whispered to her ear, “Are you ready for an adventure, feisty pants?”

Anna turned, and answered him with a grin and a kiss.

“Obviously.”


End file.
